Many people in the UK enjoy visiting church at Christmas time, even if they are not regular church-goers. Christmas services offer the opportunity to focus on the real meaning of Christmas, to share experiences with local people, or simply to enjoy singing some traditional carols. There are a number of different types of church service on offer to suit all tastes and circumstances.
Service of Nine Lessons and Carols
This traditional service was first devised by Edward Benson, Bishop of Truro, in 1880. Most people now associate this service with the annual Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at Kings College Cambridge, which has been taking place since 1918 and more recently has been broadcast by the BBC every year.
The service is a collection of Bible readings reflecting the Christmas message, interspersed with carols and Christmas anthems. Popular in churches with ambitious choirs, this is an opportunity for the community musicians to showcase their talent. As the name suggests, the service is predominantly about the music and readings: there is usually no sermon and the prayers are generally short. This can be a wonderfully atmospheric occasion provided the local choir are competent.
Crib Service
Crib services are usually aimed at families with young children. The format varies from church to church, but will usually involve the blessing of the crib, a representation of the Nativity scene involving models of the Holy Family.
Music will generally consist of more child-friendly Christmas songs such as “Little Donkey” and “Away in a Manger”. Some churches will involve the children by providing the opportunity to dress up and take part in a Nativity scene, and the local Sunday school often plays a pivotal part in the service.
Christingle Service
The christingle celebration was first devised by Bishop John de Watteville of the Moravian church in 1747. In this candle-lit service, worshippers are given an orange with a candle inserted symbolising Jesus, the Light of the World.
Christingle celebrations may take many forms, from school assemblies to large cathedral services, and the christingle celebration may be incorporated into the crib service by some churches. Generally, Christingle services will be family friendly, and involve Christmas songs, readings and prayers.
Midnight Mass
Many churches offer a late night service on Christmas Eve to celebrate the first mass of the festival. This is usually a formal service with Holy Communion. The service will generally start at around 11:30 so the Mass can be celebrated on Christmas Day itself. Some church-goers choose to attend this service so they can fulfill their obligation to take mass without having to leave the house on Christmas morning, leaving them free to celebrate with their families and prepare the all-important Christmas lunch without interruption.
Church Services on Christmas Day
Most churches celebrate Christmas Day with a service similar to the normal Sunday worship. Depending on the church, this may involve Holy Communion, or may be a more informal family service; but whatever the type of service it tends to have a more light-hearted feel than usual. For example, the priest may invite children to show their gifts in place of the sermon. Carols will almost certainly be sung with great gusto.
Sources:
“A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols” Kings College Cambridge
“Carol Services in Christmas tide” Oremus
“The Christingle Story” The Children’s Society
Veronica Mitchell - Veronica studied veterinary medicine at Cambridge University before becoming a secondary school science teacher. She enjoys writing about ...
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